So, Your Dog is Going to Daycare or Boarding!!!
How do I prepare for my dog's overnight boarding or daycare stay?
You have decided your pooch will be going to dog daycare or dog boarding. You have visited the facility and you know where they should attend. Everything is ready and that's it, right? Well, not quite. The first step is to assure that your dog has basic manners. Boarding and daycare are extremely difficult places if you do not "kennel up" on command. Imagine how awkward it is to be the only dog in your group of 10 who jumps on the sitter! Gate rushing? That's a major no-no! Humping, growling or resource guarding? Those will get a dog dismissed. Worse yet, human aggression is an absolutely unacceptable behavior and is not tolerated whatsoever. So, let's start at the beginning.
Get Healthy!
First, determine what your dog daycare or dog boarding facility of choice requires for attendance. It is normal to require vaccines for contagious diseases, as well as a negative fecal test for intestinal parasites, since dogs are all sharing a yard together. In fact, a facility that doesn't require these tests is one that might be worth reconsidering. Facilities require these to minimize disease risk among everyone and to protect YOUR dog so don't get angry when you hear the requirements.
What should I do if my dog's behavior is off?
The next step is to perform a veterinary examination if your dog exhibits any form of possessiveness, aggression or negative behavior to assure the behavior isn't a result of feeling bad. It is also possible some of these behaviors manifest from being intact and spaying or neutering is necessary. Different boarding facilities have different policies about permitting dogs who are intact and some require desexing by certain ages in order to attend dog daycare or to be in attendance. As individual businesses, this policy is entirely up to each facility's discretion based on their experiences with hormones and aggression. At NEST Pet Retreat, Playcare and Spa, we can arrange for all of your pet’s medical needs to be taken care of at our affiliated Veterinary practice, Heritage Oaks Animal Hospital, while your pet is enjoying their stay with us, creating a convenient one stop solution for your busy schedule.
Training for Success
If all of these have been addressed and a dog is simply experiencing some socialization issues, then training is in order. Some daycare and boarding facilities offer training from puppy to adulthood and others refer clients elsewhere for specialized training. Most facilities will give a dog every opportunity to rejoin as long as a dog is still in the process of learning how to have manners. Dogs grow into great citizens as they learn what is expected of them. They learn to play, learn to respect caregivers and learn to enjoy their time as boarders and daycare members.